Pasteboard carton



Aug. 1, 19390 L. E. SHAW PASTEBOARD CARTON Filed March 2, 1957 INVENTQRLOUIS E. SHAW ATTORNEY fatented Aug. 1, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEPASTEBOARD CARTON I Louis E. Shaw, East Orange, N. J.

.Application March 2, 1937, Serial No. 128,562

9 Claims.

The invention relates in general to a paper package or carton of thetype usually employed in packing berries, fruit, vegetables, candy andsimilar articles, which employs two hollow, box-like units, specificallya box and a cover therefor, and in which the articles are packed in thebox and the top of the box closed by means of the cover which is securedin place by wrapping its sides about the sides of the box andtemporarily interconnecting the ends of the cover sides to secure themin position engaging the contained box during shipping and forsubsequent display.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an improved form oftwo-unit carton of the type above outlined and in which a box and itsassociated cover may each be made from preformed flat blank stockdesigned to be stored and shipped in a compact stacked position and inwhich one form of blank may be quickly folded and secured in position toform the box and another similar form of blank may be similarly foldedand secured in position about the box to form a closure for the box andto coact therewith to form the complete carton.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simplified and easilyfabricated box and/0r box cover, not necessarily for conjoint use, inwhich .the box may be. used alone without any cover or with some otherform of cover, and in which the cover herein featured may be utilized asa cover for any standard form of berry or other box.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved form oftwounit carton of the type above outlined and particularly to improvethe combined cover and its wrapping side element, hereinafter called-awrapper-cover because it functions not only as a cover, but is alsowrapped about the sides of the box in the act of securing the cover inplace on its box.

Particularly referring to the wrapper cover, an object of the inventionis to provide a simple form of blank which can be readily folded intoposition over the box to cover it and which can be quickly locked inposition and subsequently unlocked at will to remove the cover whenaccess is desired to the box.

Another object of the invention is to provide a construction which ,willprovide a double thickness of material to the completed carton and inwhich the cover-wrapper as it is located about the box will locate itsends automatically in position so as to be easily interlocked by asimple manual operation.

- Still another object of the invention is to provide as part of thewrapper cover herein featured a form of cover provided with a window topermit inspection of the contents of the box through its open top andwhich window may, if desired, be provided with a covering of Cellophaneor similar transparent material secured thereto in posi- 5 tion to coactwith the cover to make both the box and the carton substantiallyair-tight.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a form of package,particularly designed for carrying berries and other small fruit onwhich fruit flies are apt to form and which will provide a means forescape of such flies and like insects which are attracted towards light.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be in partobvious from an inspection of the accompanying drawing and in part willbe more fully set forth in the following particular description of oneform of carton embodying the invention, and the invention also consistsin certain new and novel features of con- 20 struction and combinationof parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a paperpackage including a paper box andassociated wrapper cover illustrating a preferred embodiment of theinvention and with parts of the wrapper cover broken away on one side toshow the locking features of the box normally concealed by the cover andshowing the clips of both the box and wrapper cover in their bent,operable position;

Fig. 2 is a detail vertical sectional view of the locking means taken onthe line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the blank from which the wrapper-cover of Fig.1 is formed and having a portion of the central section broken away toshow the gluing of the Cellophane covering up to the flange score linesand showing the clips in their normal flat vertical position;

Figs. 4 and 5 are views of a slightly modified form of the inventionwhich may be either the box element or the cover of the package; Fig. 4showing a perspective view of a rectangular form of box-likeconstruction, and Fig. 5 showing a plan view of the blank from which'theshowing 45 in Fig. 4 is constructed.

maintaining the box in its originally formed configuration evenindependent of the box fastening means hereinafter described.

The box and its wrapper cover are of similar construction and eachformed from similar contoured fiat blanks of which the blank for formingthe wrapper cover is shown in Fig. 3. Except for obviously necessarychanges in angles of the score lines between the side flanges and theirwings as hereinafter described and for the omission .of Cellophanecovered openings herein featured, the description of the blank of .Fig.3 will be equally applicable for the blank from which the box is formed.

The blank of Fig. 3 is a fiat sheet of cardboard cut to the indicatedoutline and suitably scored to permit easy folding. The blank includes afour sided substantially square central portion I 2 whichin Fig. 3 issquare and in Fig. is rectangular, with each side provided with a flangeof trapezoidal form in Fig. 3 and rectangular form in Fig. 5 projectingintegrally from the central portion and adapted to be bent from theplane of central portion along the four connected straight score linesl3 to form the four sides of the box or wrapper cover as the case maybe. Two opposing pairs of the flanges l4 and I5 are in each caseprovided at their opposite ends with longitudinally projectingextensions forming wings I 6 and I1 adapted to be bent out of the planeof their associated flanges along wing score lines I8 in Fig. 3. Thesewings are of somewhat triangular form with a long edge at the hinge edgeprovided by the score line l8 and reduced in width therefrom outwardlytowards their free ends 19. These free ends are con- .toured on theirouter edges 20 to form a hook 2| provided on its inner side with ashoulder 22 and between the shoulder 22 and the adjacent edge there isformed a short edge 23 adapted to be locked by the fastening devicehereinafter disclosed. .The space in advance of this short edge issometimes hereinafter referred to as a clip receiving space. The otheropposing pair of flanges .24 and 25 are provided approximately at theirrespective centers and thus removed from their outlining edges with aneasily bendable metal clip 26. Care should be exercised in selecting thematerial and thickness of the metal clip so that it is so flexible thatit can be readily bent by the finger manipulation of the operator and ofsufficient rigidity so that it will maintain itself in its bent positionwhen functioning as a fastening means and at the same time which can bereadily rebent back into its normal flat inoperative position to permitunfastening of the cover where subsequent access is desired to thecontents of the box and where it is desired to unfasten the box andreturn it to its original flat blank position. In one form of theinvention these clips. are formed of thin sheet brass.

The clip 26 extends perpendicular to the associated flange hinge lineI3'and has its end nearest the hinge line secured to the associatedflange by permanent fastening means 21 leaving the free bendable end 28projecting towards but spaced from the adjacent outer edge 29 of theflange.

Th wrapper cover illustrated is provided with a window opening 30 topermit inspection of the top of the contents of the box. The open top ofthe box may be provided with a covering 3| sometimes hereinafterreferred to as a wrapper and which may be formed of Cellophane with itsouter edge glued to the underside of the central portion which outlinesthe Window opening as shown in Fig. 3. In this case the outlining edge32 of the Cellophane sheet extends to the score line l3 so as to insurethat the Cellophane wrapper will completely close the open top of thebox therebeneath. It is herein suggested that a similar form ofCellophane coveredopening be. formed in the bottom of the box so thatits contents may be inspected through both the top and bottom of thepackage.

It has been found that certain small fruit flies form in such boxes andhave a tendency to move towards the light and collect on the undersideof such Cellophane window coverings. These flies will escape if giventhe chance and accordingly the Cellophane covering 3| is provided with aplurality of holes or vents 33 which are in size and number sufiicientto permit the imprisoned insects to escape but which of 0 course aresufficiently small to prevent small berries, peas or the like, fromleakingwut of the box.

The structure illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 features the use of only twofastening devices, one at opposite ends of the box or its cover and thisis sufficient for the usual pint or quart size berry box and the like.However, should the boxes or their covers be relatively shallow, itwould not be economical to provide wings of the necessary length topermit them to overlap as in Fig. 1 and accordingly in the showing inFigs. 4 and 5 the wings 34 are merely of suflicient length to insure therugged closed corners 35 as was the case in the Fig. 1 form, and each ofthe wings 34 is provided with its own independent fastening clip 36;there beingshown four in the blank of Fig. 5.

For the purpose of showing that the boxes and associated covers need notbe of the pyramidal form as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the blank of Fig.

5 is formed as a rectangle with the flange hinge score lines 31intersecting at right angles so that when the blank is folded alongthese lines there is formed the rectangular form of box or coverillustrated in Fig. 4. In all other respects the Fig. 4 structurecorresponds with the box l0 of Fig. 1. It is obviously within the scopeof the disclosure to make the box and cover with the lapped wing andsingle clip structure shown in Fig. 1 with the perpendicular sided formsuggested in Fig. 4. While the wrapper cover of Fig. 1 was illustratedas having a depth not quite as deep as the box but of a depth so thatthe flanges l4 and I 5 of the cover would overlap and thus help tosecure the box fastening means, the preferred practice is to have thecover of the same depthas the box which'it encloses and thus provide atleast a double thickness of wall to the completed package for its entiredepth. This is of advantage in that the greatest distorting strain is atthe bottom of the box and it is along its bottom edge where the greatestdegree of strength is required.

In operation and assuming for instance that an ordinary frusto-pyramidalberry box of proper size, or the paper box herein featured, has beenformed and filledwith fruit or other vendable merchandise, the blank ofFig. 3 is located on top of the box with its center section registeringwith the square top of the filled box. The flanges l4 and I5 then arepressed downwardly about their associated score lines l3 into engagementwith the adjacent side of the box. Holding the flanges thus in theirdepending position, the other two flanges 24 and 25 are bent downwardlyabout their associated score line and. then the wings,

pressed inwardly towards each other until the I hooked end of one wing,say l1, overlaps the hooked end of the other wing l6 and they assume theoverlapped position flat against the adjacent flanges, one of which isillustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. When in this position, the short edges 23will be in overlapped position with the hooks 2| projecting downwardlyand the shoulders 22 spaced apart on opposite sides of the clip. Theinitially downwardly projecting free end of the clip is then bent backupon itself upwardly to form, the J- shaped retaining finger 38 shownparticularly in Fig. 2. This finger overlaps the superposed hooked endsof the wings to hold the cover in its folded position. It will beappreciated from examining Fig. 1 that in order that the cover move intoan open position, each of the wings must move downwardly about itsassociated edge l3 as a hinge edge but any such downward movement ofeither of the wings is resisted by the metal retaining finger 38.

With the clips in the hooked position in the case of the pyramidal formof cover shown in Fig. l, the cover is secured to the box by virtue ofits pyramidal conformation'against accidental separation from the box solong as the side walls are thus clipped together.

Should it be desired in displaying the package to a customer to obtainaccess to the contents of the box, as in disclosing berries below thetop layer for inspection, the clips can be readily bent baclr, that isthe flexible ends may be bent downwarclly from the position shown inFig. 2, into their initial position more or less fiat against the flangeto which they are attached to permit the releasing of the wings fromtheir held position and thus permit the wrapper cover to be loosened soas to be easily removed from the box, after which the parts can bereadily reassembled into their box closing position as illustrated inFig. 1.

The present disclosure particularly featuresthe use of an easily formedand quickly releasable fastening device such as the bendable clipillustrated for temporarily securing the side flanges or wings in foldedposition and which can be-utilized to form either the box orcoverquickly and without the use of any tools. There is further featureda box-like structure which can be formed from flat blanks withoutnecessity for providing any particular accuracy in the forming of theparts nor any necessity of forming dificultly threaded slots which haveheretofore been necessary in similar forms of paper box structures forreceiving the hook-like ends of wingsand which wings in such structureshave had. to be carefully inserted in the slots designed to receive thesame and which careful manipulation has been necessary in order toprevent the tearing of the thin cardboard commonly used in forming suchboxes and covers. With the device herein featured, the clip can be bentinto a holding position about an exposed edge of the locking wing eventhough the parts are not formed with the exactness of fit disclosed inthe illustrated showing.

While the disclosure illustrated features a more or less snug fitbetween the box and the coverwrapper, there are advantages in somesituations as where ventilation is desirable, to have the cover moreloosely fit the box and thus provide a shallow air clearance between thebox and the sides of the cover. In those cases where the box to becovered by the wrapper herein featured is an ordinary wooden berry box,such boxes are almoltmretovaryslichtlyinsiaeandthecover is quite apt tobe slightly oversize. In such cases the space or spaces between the boxand cover is open at its lower portion to the outside air, even in theabsence of the apertures 33 illustrated. This free access of air permitsat least some air circulation about and through the contents of the box.

While there have been shown, described and pointed out in the annexedclaims, certain novel features of the invention, it will be understoodthat various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form anddetails of the device illustrated and-in its operation may be made bythose skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, a hollow article comprising afour-sided central portion having four flanges projecting respectivelyand integrally from the four edges of the central portion and benttherefrom to form four sides, two opposing pairs of the flanges providedwith extensions from. each end forming wings and each wing being bentfrom its associated flange and overlapping the next adjacent flange,each wing terminating in a shouldered end, the other pair of flangesoverlapped by the wings being each provided with a bendable fasteningclip having one 'end permanently secured to its associated other flangeand having a free end adapted to be bent back upon itself into positionto form a retaining finger ada ted to be engaged by the said shoulderedends to retain the four sides in place.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of an upstandingpaper wall, a pair of wings in flatwise engagement with the wall andeach terminating in an end portion having a other with the shouldersspaced apart and facing each other to form a clip receiving spacetherebetween and a single bendable metal clip'having one end secured tothe wall and having its free end bendable about the overlapped portionsof the wings to form a readily formed and releasable retaining meansextending through said space and disposed to be engaged byeither-shoulderon any movement of its associatedwing to move away fromits fiatwise, engagement with the wall.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of an upstandingpaper wall, a wing secured in fiatwise engagement with said wall, saidwing having a hinged edge and a part opposite the hinged edge providedwitha shoulder located by the hinged edge on the wall in spaced relationto its outlining edges and a metal clip having one end secured to thewall adjacent the shoulder and. having a free end bendable across theportion in advance of the .shoulder and said shoulder adapted to engagethe clip and be retained thereby in its fiatwise engagement with thewall, and said clip and shoulder coacting to resist any movement of thewing about its hinged edge away from its position engaging the wall andto resist any relative movement between the wall and wing in a directionparallel to the plane of the wing.

4. A paper cover; for an open top box, said cover including a centralportion of rectangular form and having a flange projecting integrallyshoulder, said shouldered ends overlapping each said central portionprovided with a window opening, a sheet of transparent materialcompletely'and solely covering ,,the opening, secured at its edges tothe underside of the central section and extending substantially up tothe score lines whereby the sheet will be substantially coextensive-withthe area of the top portion and thus adapted when the cover is in place,on the top to close its open top, and a pair of, the opposing flangeseach provided with a bendable clip constituting an element of a readilymanipulated fastening means for connecting contiguous ends of adjacentflanges to secure the cover in its folded form.

5. A paper package comprising an open top box, a transparent wrapperentirely exposed to and closing the open top of the box, a wrapper coverfitted about the sides of the box and acting to secure the wrapper inplace, said wrapper 'cover comprising a single sheet of paper foldedadapted to be bent out of the plane 01' the cen-' tral section to formfour sides of a hollow frustopyramidal form having converging sides, anopposing pair of the flanges provided with relatively narrow wings atopposite ends terminating adjacent their free ends in elements of afastening means, and the other flanges each provided with a metal clipinitially lying substantially flat on the blank having one endpermanently secured thereto and its other end adapted to be bent fromits initial flat position to engage with an adjacent element of saidfastening means.

7. A cardboard blank comprising a rectangular central section providedwith flanges projecting integrally from each of two'adjacent edges andeach adapted to be bent at an angle to the plane of the central portionalong a score line to form a pair of walls extending at right angles toeach other, one of said flanges provided with a wing forming extensionadapted to'be bent therefrom in lapping relation to theother flange, andfastening means for securing the flanges together and including a metalclip having one end secured to the other flange and having a freemanually bendable end projecting from its secured end in a directionaway from the associated score line and bendable across said extensionto secure the same in its position overlapping the said other flange.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination of two parts invertical overlapping relation, fastening means for temporarily securingthe same together, said means including an element formed of aninitially flat manually bendable metal clip secured to the overlappedparty and spaced from the outlining edge of said overlapped part and theoverlapping part provided with a short edge terminating in a hook andforming a coacting fastening element adapted to belapped by the metalclip when the clip is bent back upon itself over said short edge.

-9. An overall cover for an open top box of berries and like smallarticles in which fruit flies and other small insects are apt togerminate, said cover provided with means for locating the same inoperative position on the box; and the cover formed at least in part oftransparent material of substantial size afiording visibility tovinspect the berries or other contents of the box and said sheet providedwith a vent sufliciently large to permit the escape from the box of suchinsects as may be attracted by the light through the transparent sheetto move up on to the underside of the sheet and said vent beingsufllciently small to prevent the berries or other contents from leakingtherethrough out of the box and sufllciently small so as to preventflies and other large insects from entering-the box.

LOUIS E. SHAW.

